Shark Wandvac System WS620 Review
A handy grab-and-go companion
Verdict
A useful and versatile grab-and-go cleaner, the Shark Wandvac System WS620 can convert between a standard stick cleaner and a handheld model with ease. It’s powerful and tackled most spills well, but the short battery life means it isn’t ideal as a cordless cleaner for larger areas.
Pros
- Very light
- Clever design lets the vacuum stand upright
- Good range of accessories
Cons
- Short battery life
Availability
- UKunavailable
- USARRP: $239.99
- Europeunavailable
- Canadaunavailable
- Australiaunavailable
Key Features
- TypeA cordless handheld vacuum cleaner designed for small jobs, it comes with a wand and motorised floor tool in the box to offer a little more versatility.
- Battery lifeSeventeen minutes is the most you’ll get from the battery, but in Boost mode this drops to under 10 minutes.
Introduction
Handheld vacuum cleaners can be great for grab-and-go cleaning of smaller spills, but they tend to lack versatility. With the Shark Wandvac System WS620, you get all of the benefits of a handheld cleaner alongside the ability to covert it into a stick cleaner for tackling larger spills on the floor.
Decent performance and a good range of tools make it a winner in the right circumstances, but the short battery life may put off some folk.
Design and features
- Clever modular design
- Neat charging dock acts as a stand
- Very easy to use
A slightly larger version of the Shark Wandvac WV201, the Shark Wandvac System WS620 is, at heart, a handheld vacuum cleaner designed for close-up cleaning of smaller spills. Where it differs from its sibling is that this vacuum also comes with a motorised floor head and stick, so you can use it as a regular cordless stick cleaner.
That ups the versatility of this vacuum cleaner and means that you can use it to tackle a greater range of jobs. Of course, the trade-off is that you’ll need a bit more room to store this model. Even so, Shark has done a good job in this regard, too.
In the box is a charging stand, which holds the stick and floor head separately, plus it also has a separate dock for the handheld component. You can, if you have the head height, just drop the entire vacuum in stick mode onto the charger and top up the internal battery that way.
The Shark Wandvac System WS620 comes with a removable battery, but it’s only possible to charge one unit at a time in the body of the cleaner. Still, if you want to extend run-time, you can buy additional batteries and charge them one at a time.
With the stand, you also get an accessory holder that can hold the combination crevice tool/dusting brush, and you can place the combination bristle brush/upholstery tool flat on the surface. An accessory clip on the wand itself would have been welcome, since it would have made it easier to carry the tools around with you.
The main tool is the motorised floor head, which uses both rubber flaps and bristles for use on all surface types. That’s more versatile than the Dyson Omni-glide, which has only a hard-floor roller and isn’t designed for use on carpet.
Intelligently designed, the Shark Wandvac System WS620 is super-easy to use. There’s a single power button on top that turns the vacuum on and off on standard mode.
At the back of the handle sits a trigger to activate the Boost mode for a bit more power. It’s a clever system, as you can engage Boost power just when you need it, maximising battery life by mostly running on the standard mode.
In stick mode, the Shark Wandvac System WS620 is very easy to push around, with its lightweight body easy to hold and direct. And, there’s a clever trick, too: you can remove the vacuum and clip it to the front of the wand, so that the cleaner stands up by itself. That’s handy for when you need to answer the door or pause cleaning for a while.
You can attach accessories to the vacuum head or the wand. The wand offers plenty of reach and the low weight makes it easy to clean right up to the top of your ceilings.
To go fully handheld you just press the two side buttons and the wand drops off. In handheld mode, the Wandvac offers plenty of flexibility; it’s a great cleaner for tackling smaller jobs, such as a spill in the kitchen or cleaning up a couch.
There’s only a 0.13qt bin in this vacuum, so you’ll need to empty it after practically every clean. Note that the eject button flings the bin forward with a little bit too much enthusiasm. I found it was best to gently hold the bin to let it open slowly, which allows you to direct the mess. You can remove the bin entirely to clean it out and get to the small filter inside.
Performance
- Decent mid-range suction power
- Works well on most surfaces
- Short battery life
I measure all vacuum cleaners for power in AirWatts (AW), which combines suction power with airflow to give a raw performance figure. In standard mode, I measured the Shark Wandvac System WS620 at 27.39AW, which is sits towards the budget end of the market. On Boost mode, power jumped to 55.96AW, which is about standard mid-range level of suction power.
To see how raw figures translate into practice, I also put the Shark Wandvac System WS620 through my real-world tests. I started with the carpet test, sprinkling a teaspoon of flour onto the carpet. A single sweep forward and backward through the spill was enough to remove a clean strip of dirt; I didn’t need to engage Boost mode.
Moving onto the tough edge test, I sprinkled a teaspoon of flour up against the skirting board on carpet tiles. Here, the cleaner did alright on standard power, although there were some traces of dust left behind.
Upping to Boost mode saw the cleaner pick up most of the mess, although I needed to switch to the crevice tool to clear the final bits of dirt.
Next, I combed cat hair into the test carpet. Here, a single sweep forward and backward left the carpet generally clean, although there were one or two stray hairs left behind. It took a bit more cleaning to clear it all.
Finally, to the hard floor test. I sprinkled a teaspoon of rice onto the floor, using the cleaner on standard mode. I managed a clean sweep through the middle of the mess, although a few grains did drop out at the end. For bigger spills such as this, I found that a quick hit of Boost mode was enough to clean up the mess.
Battery life is around 17 minutes without the powered floor head and a couple of minutes less with it. On Boost mode, you’re looking at just shy of 8 minutes. Fortunately, the Shark Wandvac System WS620 did so well on standard power that Boost mode won’t be needed that often.
That said, 17 minutes maximum run-time isn’t a huge amount, and it’s unlikely that you’ll manage to get round the entire house with this vacuum. However, efficiency means that you could clear a fairly large area on a charge: a room or two is easy, plus you could tackle a couch or a bigger spill.
After the battery is flat, you’re looking at 3.5 hours to recharge fully, so this is most likely a vacuum that you’ll only be able to use once a day if you fully drain the battery on that go.
In terms of noise, the Shark Wandvac System WS620 measured 72.2dB on standard power, which is relatively quiet for a cordless cleaner, only increasing to a higher-pitched 73.9dB on Boost.
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Should you buy it?
If you’re looking for a small and versatile handheld cleaner that can tackle larger areas, this is a great choice. Able to switch between stick and handheld modes fast, the Wandvac WS620 is a very versatile cleaner.
Short battery life means that the WS620 lightweight vacuum cleaner isn’t great for larger jobs or whole-home cleaning. If you need a vacuum that will last for longer, we recommend you look elsewhere.
Final thoughts
A useful utility cleaner, the Shark Wandvac System WS620 is a great second vacuum for tackling smaller spills, or for when you just want to quickly clean a room. The Dyson Micro outperforms this cleaner on hard floors and offers similar battery life, but its floor head isn’t built for carpets. If you want a cordless cleaner that will last for longer, check out my guide to the best cordless vacuum cleaners for alternative choices.
FAQs
Yes it does, although you can only charge one at a time.
You get a maximum of 17 minutes off a single charge, after which it takes 3.5 hours to charge the battery from flat.
Specs
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Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.